Florence DeVos
Florence DeVos is an Original Character created by Lucky107. Appearance Florence is fifteen years old and what one might consider tall for a girl her age. She's lithe and considerably less well-built than some of her male companions, but she doesn't indulge in the gentleman's sport of boxing. The bulk of Florence's strength is within her legs and abdomen. Her most distinguishing feature is a café au lait spot just below her left eye. Given her European makeup, Florence often sports a sun-kissed tan with blonde hair and hazel eyes. While she once wore her hair grown to her shoulders with a special adoration for cute headbands, she has quite recently adopted a short, boyish style. Rumors circulating the student body suggest that she cut it herself in the heat of a manic episode after her first all-American break-up with the Bullworth Bullhorns fullback, but nobody knows for sure. Florence wears the standard girl's uniform, as defined by her clique, with an open collar blouse and rolled-up sleeves. She almost always wears her Aquaberry necklace and matching bracelet outside of the gym. In the winter she switches up her vest for a full sweater, but little else changes. She wears a simple, but modest pink nightgown when she sleeps and she dresses as the Statue of Liberty for Halloween. Characteristics In spite of her slim form, Florence comes from a sporty background and enjoys running track to keep in shape when she's not attending cheerleading practice. She's largely passive by nature and rarely resorts to violence, even under intense pressure. Her stoic character in the face of bullying shouldn't be mistaken for apathy, though, as just beneath the surface is an incredibly distraught young girl battling alcoholism and depression. No one can deny that Florence is smart. Her book smarts far outweigh her street smarts, but what she lacks in her ability the throw a punch is made up for in her quick-witted intelligence. While she favours the liberal arts to more technical fields, she pulls a decent grade in all of her classes—without paying her way. She doesn't go out of her way to be friendly with her peers, but she's not considered to be unfriendly, either. There are obvious social barriers that come with her immigrant status that make forming meaningful relationships considerably more difficult, but it doesn't prevent her from trying. For a preppy-aligned student, she is one of the friendlier characters within her clique unless in the presence of greasers. Florence is studious in her academic pursuits and goes to great lengths to avoid stepping on the toes of other students. She will never go out of her way to make trouble, but may stray into mischief unwittingly - especially when she's being misled by her more devious peers at Harrington House. When not at the gym, Florence busies herself with amateur floral arrangement at the Harrington House greenhouse or sharpens her wit with a game of chess at the Library. History Florence DeVos was born in Brussels, Belgium on October 15, 1991. Life at home was strict: her parents placed exceptionally high, but often conflicting expectations upon her at an incredibly young age. While they could never seem to agree on what it was they wanted for her future, what was for certain was that she was going to be the best at whatever it was. Trouble at home began when Florence was only a baby and it revolved around her father's decision to hire a young nanny and housekeeper named Charlotte Desmet. Her mother was old-fashioned in her belief that a child's nanny should always be older, with personal child-rearing experience under her belt, but Florence's father was adamant about Charlotte. She and Florence were close until Florence was sent to live at a private boarding school for girls when she was ten years old. Those three years away from home provided her first real chance to explore the subjects that appealed to her interests and not those forced upon her by her overbearing parents. It was during that time when she dropped piano for sports and home economics for the arts. Florence was nearly fourteen - just about to begin high school - when her father informed the DeVos family of his decision to relocate them to America in the interest of expanding the family's chocolatier retail market. Between her father's frequent absences in Belgium and her mother's growing suspicion of his affair with the family's nanny, life all but fell apart once they moved to America. The only consolation Florence and her mother found was in the friendship of their neighbors, the Vanderveldes. In an effort to fully assimilate herself into an Americana lifestyle, absent of the pressures at home, Florence requested that she be permitted to live on campus at Bullworth Academy after being enrolled for her freshman year in the fall of her fourteenth year. What Florence failed to realise was that the highly publicized 'American Dream' was little more than an advertising gimmick and she fell hook, line, and sinker. Relationships Mentors : Derby Harrington Florence meets Derby Harrington within days of the DeVos family's arrival in Old Bullworth Vale prior to her freshman year at Bullworth Academy and it's no secret that the Harrington family intimidates her. Their mothers seemingly hit it off on account of their shared English heritage and that serves to lessen tensions, but Florence still presents an air of formality around Derby that she reserves solely for him. By and large, any admiration for Derby that Florence expresses outwardly is purely a formality. She's hesitant to admit it, even in the company of those she trusts, but she finds him to be obnoxious and ignorant in conversation in spite of his strict upbringing. She fails to understand how such a smart and calculating individual could become such an overbearing ignoramus every time he opens his mouth. The feelings turn out to be mutual when Derby doesn't once send after Florence during her month-long absence over the summer prior to her sophomore year, in spite of her lack of communication with the clique. He defends the decision by claiming to hold the utmost faith in her maturity and independence, but is actually sore about her decision to go behind his back in an effort to establish an alliance with the jocks. It isn't until the beginning of Florence's sophomore year that he makes his true feelings known by offering her a position at the Harrington House greenhouse. While she believes it to be a sign of respect on account of her reputable green thumb, she remains completely unaware that he equates her to the hired help in conversation with other preppies behind her back. Their relationship remains terse for the duration of their time together at Bullworth Academy. Love Interests : Casey Harris Florence meets Casey Harris in her freshman year while frequenting the school's gymnasium with Justin Vandervelde, who hatches a plan for Florence to pursue a romantic relationship with him in order to form an alliance with the jocks. The two have virtually nothing in common, but when Florence asks Casey out during cheerleading practice he can't very well say 'no'. For the duration of their relationship the two make a handsome couple: he's a pretty boy football player and she's a beautiful cheerleader with an exotic allure. They present like a Hollywood-fabricated teenage dream to their peers, but it doesn't take long for things to erode just beneath the surface. Florence finds it impossible to hold Casey's interest outside of making out on account of their polar differences and it wears on her. Likewise, Casey talks openly about his interest in other girls on campus while in her company, spurring an unflattering jealousy in Florence. In spite of their growing number of problems, they manage to keep up public appearances until Florence takes an unplanned dip in the gymnasium's pool - still in uniform - at the hands of a jealous female jock. She ends her relationship with Casey in spite of pressure from Justin to maintain it, leading to a destructive manic episode at the start of the summer. During that time Florence locks herself away in the family's estate for an entire month while her parents are away in Belgium for business, where she takes a pair of scissors to her own hair after over-indulging in her relatively well-kept secret: an alcohol addiction. She's persuaded to seek out treatment from Dr. Bambillo by her nanny, where she's diagnosed with depression and prescribed proper medication, as well as a strict therapy regimen. The two do not speak again upon Florence's return to Bullworth Academy in September. : Kirby Olsen Florence meets Kirby Olsen in her sophomore year when she begins sneaking out of her room after curfew to fit in some extra training at the football field. Under intense pressure to keep up with the rest of the team, Kirby has also been sneaking out to put in some extra hours and the stark revelation of their biggest insecurities propels them into a fast friendship. * While similar to her previous relationship with Casey in that she and Kirby have little in common, he proves a far more experienced conversationalist than Casey and coaxes Florence into opening up in ways she's never opened up to anyone before. In spite of this, when rumors circulate of Kirby's date with Trent Northwick he feels compelled to try and justify himself to her. Florence, in spite of her seemingly traditional upbringing, catches him by surprise when she informs him that she attended a girls' school prior to attending Bullworth Academy and was not exempt from the temptation of curiosity. The subtleness of their friendship and its anonymity among the student body makes a big difference. Around Florence, Kirby doesn't have to uphold the macho appearance that's expected of him on the football field; she doesn't hold him to the same standard as the other girls on campus and is instead curious to learn about the real, multifaceted Kirby who exists on the inside. Similarly, he has no interest in her wealth—in fact, her way of life is so far beyond his level of understanding that his frank and often-times simple responses to her complaints come as a breath of fresh air. In each other they find a human compassion that's rare among the student body at Bullworth Academy. For the majority of the year neither of them considers what they have to be a romantic experience. It isn't. It contains the same level of awkward and often embarrassing self-discovery, but it doesn't cross that threshold. At least, not until one night when they're out of town for a football game and Kirby invites Florence to skip the post-game celebration in favour of accompanying him to dinner at his parents' house, an invitation that she accepts without hesitation. For the duration of the evening Kirby expects the worst from his father, who has a history of coming down hard on Kirby for rarely measuring up to the other boys in the neighborhood, but the reception of their friendship is warm. It proves to be a wonderful evening. Things become tense for a brief time upon their return to Bullworth, however, as Kirby receives a letter from his father that he's almost certain contains disapproval. He fears that he will bend to the pressure if he finds out that his father wishes for him to call off any plans to date Florence, but the letter states quite the opposite. For the first time in his short life, his father actually reads proud of Kirby, encouraging him to pursue a proper relationship with Florence thereafter. Best Friends : Justin Vandervelde Florence meets Justin Vandervelde within days of the DeVos family's arrival in Old Bullworth Vale prior to her freshman year at Bullworth Academy and their families bond immediately over their shared Belgian roots. The subject of lineage and linguistics soon bores them, however, so Justin invites Florence out to shoot hoops at the local basketball court. They're inseparable for the duration of the summer. During the early stages of Florence's integration into life as a student in America, Justin acts as a friend and confidant. The two become a familiar sight at the gym, where they run track or swim laps of the pool together. Many of the boys at Harrington House, as well as their own families, believe that Justin is a perfect match for Florence in the prospect of marriage, but they never share a romantic bond. In fact, it's Justin who convinces Florence to pursue a romantic relationship with the football team's fullback, Casey Harris, to further his own interest in forming an alliance between the preppies and the jocks. Throughout the course of their little 'experiment', however, Justin proves to care more about his own motives than the toll it takes on Florence. In a direct response to the feelings of betrayal she experiences over Justin's lack of concern for her, she chooses not to inform him of her blossoming friendship with Kirby Olsen. He instead discovers their relationship through Derby Harrington and finds himself upset by the fact that she would rather go to the gym to practice with her new friend. The experience acts as a sobering lesson in their ability to form emotional attachments to other people in spite of their shallow upbringing, forcing them both to mature as they go forward. Their relationship eventually stabilizes, allowing them to remain friendly acquaintances around campus, but they fail to return to the jovial comradery that they once shared on the basketball court. : Pinky Gauthier Florence meets Pinky Gauthier within days of the DeVos family's arrival in Old Bullworth Vale prior to her freshman year at Bullworth Academy and their fathers hit it off surprisingly well, a fact that notoriously spurs on dramatic conflict within the DeVos household. * Pinky helps Florence to adopt the life of a preppy over the course of the summer and the two wind up becoming fast friends. The term 'friend' is a simplified description for a more complex reality: while Pinky takes steps to initiate Florence into a sub-clique consisting of the few female preppies on campus, none of them know the first thing about being a real 'friend' and so the relationship remains largely shallow. Pinky is supportive of Florence's decision to date the Bullhorns' fullback, however, and she even goes so far as to encourage the relationship in an effort to oust Mandy as the most popular girl at Bullworth Academy. Everything changes between them when Florence experiences a manic episode in the aftermath of her break-up with Casey Harris and Pinky proves to be one of the only preppies to check in on her out of genuine concern for her well-being. In spite of never actually addressing the underlying issues as a true friend might, her actions demonstrate a level of sincerity that transcends their previously superficial friendship. The kindness is returned in kind during Florence's sophomore year, when she provides a safe and non-judgemental ear for Pinky to divulge her secret interest in Jimmy Hopkins - even as the rest of their clique conspires to take him down. From that point forward, the two become far more open with one another in casual conversation and they maintain the closest semblance of friendship that two preppies can for the duration of their time together at Bullworth Academy. Friends : Christy Martin Florence meets Christy Martin in her freshman year when she tries out for the cheerleading squad at Bullworth Academy. Both girls wind up making the team that year, opening up the possibility of a friendly acquaintance, but they couldn't be more different. Throughout the year Florence reserves any concern she might hold for Christy's reputation as a gossip for the whispered conversations among her peers at Harrington House. As far as she's concerned, Christy has nothing with which she can ruin Florence's reputation and so she spends the year trying to make a friend out of her in an effort to buy her own protection. During this time she winds up using Christy as a mouthpiece to maintain her highly publicized relationship with football star Casey Harris and their 'friendship' is seen as a thorn in Mandy Wiles' side in her bid to remain the most popular girl at Bullworth Academy. Things go sideways when Florence's relationship ends dramatically and the sudden silence leads Christy to devise her own fanatical speculations. She spreads those speculations in place of the carefully-crafted lies she was once fed by Florence, betraying any semblance of friendship that they once shared by creating a troublesome atmosphere for Florence among her peers at Harrington House. It doesn't take long for Florence to recognize the error in trusting Christy as a friend and they soon return to being mere acquaintances, little more than a superficial shell of what they once shared. : Mandy Wiles Florence meets Mandy Wiles in her freshman year when she tries out for the cheerleading squad at Bullworth Academy. It's an open secret that Florence's tolerance of Mandy is merely a formality given that her place on the team hinges on their friendship, but for the duration of the year very few people are aware of the rivalry that curdles just beneath the surface of their well-constructed façade. Mandy immediately feels threatened by Florence's passive-aggressive approach to their rivalry, particularly in her manipulation of Christy Martin in an effort to publicizes her relationship with Casey Harris. It becomes evident that Florence intends to challenge Mandy for the title of most popular girl on campus, even though she never comes out and says it to Mandy directly, and it propels them into a catty relationship that lingers for the entire year. Things take an interesting turn into Florence's sophomore year, however, as the end of her relationship with Casey appears to defuse the situation. The truth is that Mandy is on a power-grab in an effort to turn the entire student body against an ex-friend of hers and she targets Florence for an alliance under the pretense that the enemy of an enemy is a friend. That ex-friend turns out to be the same jock who once pushed Florence into the pool in a fit of jealousy, a fact that is not lost on Florence, even as she remains above dirtying her own hands with the juvenile torment that Mandy wishes to engage in. Once things mellow out between the rivaling jocks, Florence and Mandy maintain the friendliness borne of that petty rivalry. : Parker Ogilvie Florence meets Parker Ogilvie in her freshman year at Bullworth Academy through a mutual friend, but the two remain little more than acquaintances throughout most of the year. For the most part, they have very little in common and would otherwise not associate outside of the mandatory prep meetings at Harrington House if not frequently invited to the same social gatherings within the same company. While it's true that Florence's initial response to Parker's girl-crazy train of thought is that he's immature and often a bother, those feelings fade when he turns to her into her sophomore year as something of an unwitting confidant as he pursues a romantic interest in their mutual friend. Throughout the course of the experience, a puppy love that Florence finds terribly endearing, Parker's immature and oft naïve mindset winds up growing on her. By the end of her sophomore year Florence no longer considers him the mere 'friend of a friend', but a proper friend - one of very few that she has who is worth keeping. Acquaintances : Angie Ng Florence meets Angie Ng in her freshman year when she tries out for the cheerleading squad at Bullworth Academy. In spite of her shy demeanor making Angie one of the most approachable of the cheerleaders to make the squad that year, the two rarely ever engage while at practice because that exact passive nature never puts her on Florence's radar. : Dr. Bambillo Florence meets Dr. Bambillo during the summer prior to her sophomore year when she's convinced by her nanny to visit the doctor for a proper diagnosis on her mental breakdown. He concludes that Florence is suffering from depression, the same as her mother, and prescribes her medication to take in favour of her current solution: sipping on champagne. He also schedules her for a strict therapy regimen at his clinic, which she undergoes regularly. Throughout the course of her sophomore year, Florence benefits greatly from her visits with Dr. Bambillo in spite of the fact that many of his practices are considered... unorthodox. She comes to open up to him as her therapist, unaware of his habit to disclose patient information outside of his office. : Bryce Montrose Florence meets Bryce Montrose within days of the DeVos family's arrival in Old Bullworth Vale prior to her freshman year at Bullworth Academy, but the two are largely acquainted on behalf of sharing a mutual friend. It's no secret that the DeVos family has been advised not to rush into an acquaintance with the Montrose family, in order to avoid anchoring themselves to a 'sinking ship', and it shows in her tentative relationship with Bryce. While little changes within their relationship dynamic throughout her freshman year, things sour when a family feud within the Montrose family drives him and his betrothed apart. Their separation forces Florence to pick sides in the fallout, ending in an atmosphere of eternal small-talk and awkward silences. Rivals : Lola Lombardi Florence meets Lola Lombardi during her freshman year and their rivalry remains little more than a formality given her status as a preppy. In fact, throughout the course of Florence's time at Bullworth Academy, the two never even exchange words; every opinion she holds about Lola is based solely upon the gossip around campus and she eats it up with fervor. That's not to say that what Florence feels towards Lola is superficial. During her short stint as Casey Harris' girlfriend, the way he talks about Lola - in Florence's company - is enough to make her terribly jealous of Lola. The feelings of disgust that rise at the mention of Lola's loose behavior, and the reciprocation of the boys at Harrington House, is also very real and it persists throughout their time together at Bullworth Academy. Their rivalry is a far cry from the traditional catty rivalry of the girls around campus, however, and it's not uncommon for them to be within the same vicinity without incident, in spite of Florence's feelings of resentment. Trivia *Florence's frequent association with or desire to live the American Dream and largely enigmatic projection to her peers is similar to that of Daisy Buchanan from The Great Gatsby. *Florence's isolation from her peers by means of mental illness, familial wealth and world experience is used as a frequent parallel to The Lady of Shalott. *Florence is The Brain in an unlikely friendship circle other students mockingly dub 'The Breakfast Club'. * Category:Fanfictional Students Category:Fanfictional Girls Category:Fanfictional Preps Category:Original Characters